What type of drivetrain do you have? If you are not familiar with this term, drivetrain refers to your transmission and the way the power gets to the wheels that drive your vehicle. There are four different types of ways a drivetrain can drive: AWD (All-wheel drive), RWD (Rear-wheel drive), FWD (Front-wheel drive), and 4WD (4-wheel drive). Let’s talk about each type and why it matters when driving on the road. It may change the type of vehicle you’re looking to purchase in the future!
1. All-wheel Drive (AWD)
The number of vehicles with all-wheel drive, including SUVs, is increasing! In an all-wheel drive system, all of the wheels receive power from the engine. This is the safest drivetrain to have in the winter months or on any type of slick road. If one of your tires begins to slip, all of your tires can compensate and, hopefully, keep your entire vehicle from sliding. It’s similar to 4-wheel drive, but it’s not exactly the same. All-wheel drive will help your vehicle with traction in snowy road conditions. One of the downfalls is it will cost you a bit more in gas due to the heavy weight of all-wheel drive.
2. Rear-wheel Drive (RWD)
Rear-wheel drive is NOT made for the snow! With RWD, the power of the engine is going through the two rear tires, which means your tires are pushing your vehicle forward. This makes it hard for your vehicle to have any type of traction when driving in wet or snowy road conditions. It does make for more of a fun and exciting drive though!
3. Front-wheel Drive (FWD)
Front-wheel drive does have many benefits as well! This type of drivetrain is probably the most common type. It is easier to maintain due to the simplicity of the system. With FWD, the power from the engine comes through the front two wheels, so it’s pulling the rest of your vehicle. This type of drivetrain is said to drive a little easier in the snow than a rear-wheel drive.
4. 4-wheel Drive (4WD)
Lastly, there is the 4-wheel drive vehicle! The power from the engine gets through all four tires when desired! The cool thing about 4WD is you have the option to turn it on and off. So you can choose if you want all four tires engaged at once or if you only want to use 4WD on certain terrains.
Now that you have an idea of what each drivetrain is and how it works, we hope it will help you to identify which one you need for your city’s terrain. If you are looking to buy a new vehicle, keep these things in mind to make the smartest decision according to where you will be driving and what your weather conditions are!
If you are in need of any type of car repair or tire repair, we at Harris Automotive are here for you! Find all of our specials going on right now here: https://harrisautomotiverepair.com/coupons/ .
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